February at the Nursery...

Spring fever is building at Collier's and we have plenty to fix what ails you- the nursery will only begin to fill up from here on out! 

For Your Valentine:  Valentine's Day is Monday, February 14th.  Stop by Collier's for easy and fabulous gift ideas for the one you love- give blooms that last! 

In the greenhouse:  We have lots of blooms to brighten your indoor spaces or give as gifts-  hydrangeas, cyclamen, primrose and forced bulbs abound!  We have an excellent selection of lush ferns for indoors and a new shipment of topiaries and lemon cypress just arrived.  Choose from fresh pansies and primrose to spruce-up outdoor containers.  Did you know that yellow english primrose and fairy primrose are fragrant?  We also have Spanish lavender in bloom and fresh, delectable parsley!

Budded and Blooming:  Browse our great selection of camellias (most are budded- check out 'Dad's Pink,' pictured above, a must-have for the collector!).  If you aren't familiar with leatherleaf mahonia February is a great time to see this unusual shrub in bloom- vivid yellow flowers followed by sky-blue berries!  The quince are also in bloom, as well as perennial lenten rose, and the native azaleas have buds on them!

Plant Now, Eat Later:  It's still a great time to plant trees and shrubs and we currently have rabbiteye blueberries and brown turkey figs in stock-  Plant now and look forward to harvesting this summer!

Trees:  Fall and winter are the best times to add trees to your landscape- stop by and browse our excellent selection of Japanese maples (the 'Coral Barks' are stunning right now- see the photo under "Bare Bones Gardening"), dogwoods, decidous magnolia and other interesting selections!

Sale Section:  As we gear-up for spring and shipments of new stock roll in, we are making room and adding to our sale section weekly- check out our 50% off section during February because it will disappear once spring arrives!

February Garden Checklist

• Begin necessary pruning of evergreen shrubs, as well as shrubs that bloom after May, such as crape myrtles, roses, liriope, summer-blooming spirea, gardenia and butterfly bush.
• Cut back evergreen, perennial ferns such as Autumn and Holly ferns.
• Divide and re-plant summer and fall blooming perennials such as coneflower, daylily and mums.
• Take stem cuttings from houseplants- start indoors and move to a shady spot outdoors once the weather warms up for good.
• Lawncare:  Valentine's Day- Apply Hi-Yield Pre-Emerge with Dimension to  Centipede and St. Augustine lawns.

A Late Winter Garden

You might be surprised how alive a February garden can look!  Create a stunning winter garden to enjoy year after year with early-blooming shrubs and perennials.

Winter-Blooming Shrubs:

Camellia (Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua)    

Upright to sprawling evergreen shrubs with blooms fall-spring, depending on variety.  Blooms in shades of white, pink and red.  Prefer morning sun and afternoon shade.

Chinese Fringe (Loropetalum chinense) 

Rounded evergreen shrub with striking dark purple foliage and hot pink blooms in February and March.  Plant in part to full sun; can tolerate shadier spots but foliage will not be as vibrant.

Leatherleaf Mahonia (Mahonia bealei)

Evergreen shrub with leaves that resemble holly.  Very unusual, bright yellow blooms in February followed by sky blue berries in spring.  Plant in shade or part sun.

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles)

Deciduous shrub for part to full sun.  Blooms in shades of white, pink, red and purple open in January and February.  Excellent for cutting.

Winter-Blooming Perennials: 

Winter Daphne (Daphne odora)

Evergreen perennial or small shrub to 4' tall and wide.  White or pale pink blooms are intensely fragrant and make our entire greenhouse smell good this time of year!  Plant in shade or morning sun in a protected area.

Lenten Rose (Helleborus orientalis)

Evergreen shade perennial that can tolerate morning sun.  Classic winter blooms in shades of white, pink, red and purple.  Self-sows; plant some and watch them multiply!

Candytuft (Iberis sempervirens)

Low-growing evergreen perennial for part to full sun.  Clusters of tiny white blooms appear in late winter and last into spring.  Remove spent blooms for a flush of fresh flowers.

Bare Bones Gardening

Subtle Beauty in the Winter Garden

The beauties of a winter garden are more subtle than the abundance of a warm-weather garden, but can be just as pleasing, and planting winter-bloomers is only one way of adding interest to the garden.  Mild winter days occur often enough in Alabama and are a great opportunity to take a walk, soak up some vitamin D and develop a greater appreciation for plants in the winter landscape.  Here are a few ideas to make your landscape interesting and enjoyable during winter months:

• They may be bare of leaves, but decidous plants are the "bones" of the winter landscape and deserve more credit for their unusual beauty.  Bare branches provide structural interest, especially when planted in front of an evergreen  backdrop.  Look for plants with unusual branching, multiple trunks and exfoliating bark (oakleaf hydrangea and crape myrtle are good examples).
• Evergreens are the "meat" of the winter landscape- adding foliage, textural interest and protection from winter wind for over-wintering wildlife.  Look for interesting combinations of foliage: Combine differing shades of green with blues, silvers and reds.  Large and small leaves combined together, as well as coarse and soft textures, make interesting displays. 
• Create a winter garden retreat for yourself:  Choose an eastern or southern exposure (the warmest, sunniest areas) and plant an evergreen barrier to protect the spot from cold western winds.  Add comfy seating and a pot or two of blooming pansies for a quick backyard retreat to enjoy on mild winter days.
• Ornamental berries and seeds are another way to add interest to the winter garden.  In addition to benefitting native wildlife, unusual seedpods and berries can be cut and enjoyed indoors.  Discover our top picks for plants that produce ornamental berries in our November 2009 newsletter.